Note: I recently rebranded the original oneshot, Body Swap Shenanigans, to a collection of oneshot chapters featuring TecMiles' Original Character (OC), Miles the Cat, his brother Tails the Fox, and other Sonic characters. Each of the stories in this collection were requested by TecMiles.
Brotherly Abandon
"Hey Miles, can you pass me the wrench?" Tails called as he lay on a creeper underneath the Tornado biplane, his gloved hand, stained in grease, sticking out from underneath.
"Coming right up!" Miles replied as he used his cat-like tail to grab the tool from the workbench and deliver it to the orange fox below.
"Thanks!" Tails kicked himself back underneath the plane.
"I can't wait for the upgrades to be finished!" Miles noted as he stared at the flying machine. "How fast will this baby go again?"
"Well," Tails replied as he pulled himself out from underneath the biplane, "when powered by a single Chaos Emerald, it can travel hundreds of miles per hour, but with two Chaos Emeralds, it could go even faster than that!"
"Oh wow, that's neat!" Miles balled his hands into fists excitedly. "We could even go Sonic speed!"
"Well, about that…" Tails scratched the back of his head, getting grease behind his ears. "We would need to put the plane under various stress tests to determine if it could even handle such speed. We should only let the Tornado reach its maximum speed after considerable flights are conducted."
"Yeah, that makes sense," Miles replied as he leaned against the workbench, his tail fluttering from behind. "Oh hey, I'm getting kinda hungry! Should I order a pizza? We could play some Smash!"
"Yeah, that sounds like a gr—" The orange kitsune froze, his pupils shrinking as he made a sudden realization. "Oh wait…" He peered up at the clock above the workbench. "Shoot! I totally forgot about my date!"
"Your…date?" Miles asked, a frown across his face.
"Yeah," Tails replied as he pulled his oily gloves off his hand, cursing at himself when he noticed the grease in his fur. "Cosmo and I have really been hitting it off! Between you and me…" He peered around the room before approaching the lavender cat, who was taking a long sip of water. "I think I'm gonna ask her to marry me one of these days.
Miles spewed his beverage in Tails' face.
"Marriage!?" Miles exclaimed.
"Shhh, keep your voice down," Tails pleaded, raising a finger to his lips as he peered around once more. "I don't know exactly when, but I don't want to spoil the news or tell anyone else."
"But…" Miles peered down. "Will we have time to hang out?" The cat followed the fox into the living quarters of their combined house and workshop, the former stopping as the latter entered the restroom, swiftly preparing his shower by warming the water.
"Well, yeah," Tails said as he removed his socks and hopped into the shower, "but I won't be able to devote as much time to chilling out like we do now."
"I see…" Miles peered down once more, staring at his shoes in disbelief as the realization dawned on him that he'd have to share his brother, and the time they spend together will be significantly impacted going forward. He stewed on these thoughts as the fox scrubbed the oil out of his fur as rapidly as possible, but still managing to finish his cleaning in only a few minutes.
Miles gulped as he prepared to ask his brother a question that was making him feel an increasing sense of dread and anxiety.
"T-Tails?"
"Yeah?" The fox was combing back his hair, a towel wrapped around his waist.
"If you and…Cosmo…do get married, will we still…be able to hang out?"
Tails opened the bathroom door, steam streaming out.
"I'm sure we'll still find time, Miles," Tails replied with a nod, "but understand that the endless nights of tinkering in the workshop, playing videogames and whatnot will be a thing of the past."
"But…you're my brother…" Tears started forming in Miles' eyes.
"I know that," Tails replied, "but we're also not growing any younger. As we get older, we take on an ever increasing set of responsibilities…and marriage will be the easy part."
"W-what do you mean?" Miles tilted his head in confusion.
"Well," Tails replied with a grin, "just wait until I have kids, that is, if Cosmo agrees to marry me. We both talked at length about wanting kids of our own, so that'll be the inevitable outcome if we get married, and I'm sure I don't need to tell you just how much responsibilities go into childrearing. Heck, we may even have to find you a different place to live!"
"W-what?" Tears started forming in Miles' eyes.
"Well…" The fox checked his watch and tapped his foot, growing more impatient with his brother. "I do need my workshop, after all, and it'd make more sense for Cosmo to break her lease to come live here…" Tails noticed his brother holding back tears, so he placed a gloved hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry! It's not like I'm giving you an eviction notice! We still have time to plan, and I'll help you every step of the way. Plus, you may find someone you fancy one of these days!"
Miles merely shrugged at the fox's reassuring words.
"But hey, I'm super late and need to pick up Cosmo! We're going to Olive Garden and then seeing the new romcom in downtown Station Square." Tails ran to the workshop and hopped into the Tornado 1. "I'll see ya later, brother!"
The cat offered a weak wave as the fox drove off the runway overlooking the ocean waters crashing against the mountainside. Taking flight and dipping east, Tails followed the train tracks leading to the big city.
"Tails…" The cat's arms started trembling as he balled his hands into fists. "No, he can't get married! It just…wouldn't be right. Tails loves tinkering in the workshop and hanging out with me and Sonic. Would he…even be happy with Cosmo? Would he be happy as a married fox…with kids?" Miles rubbed the base of his chin with his gloved finger. He took a deep sigh. "I've known Tails for years, and if there's one thing I do know, it is that he'd be miserable, and…and…" The cat wiped away a tear. "…where would that leave me? I could get my own place, sure…but when would I get to see my brother? And finding a partner?" The cat stuck out his tongue in disgust. "That's not happenin'!" He approached a framed photo of him, Tails, and Sonic huddled in for a selfie on the workbench. "Days will turn to weeks, and then months." The cat gently shook his head as he placed the photo back on the bench.
"No…I can't let this happen." Tightening his scarf, the cat approached the Tornado 2, hopping in before running through his mental takeoff checklist. "If I can stop this relationship from blooming, Tails won't get married and end up like one of those miserable fathers on TV! It's the perfect plan!" Miles grinned as he rolled out of the garage, taking flight just like his brother moments earlier.
"It'll be for your own good, Tails…"
"…for our own good."
Taking a cab from the local airport, Tails and Cosmo arrived at Olive Garden, the fanciest restaurant the orange fox could think to bring his girlfriend.
"Tails, you know how much I enjoy this place," Cosmo said as the couple entered the building, "and I would never complain, but are there other restaurants in Station Square we could try?"
"Oh, well…" The young kitsune scratched the back of his head. "Yes, I'm sure there are, but I…"
"Don't get out much?" Cosmo smirked as she placed her hands on her hips, the two waiting for a server to show them to their seats.
"Yeah, exactly!" The fox blushed. "It's like we finish each other's…"
"Salads!" The two said simultaneously, followed by blushing giggles from the young couple.
"Table for two?" The waitress asked; the two froze mid-laugh, turned to the Mobian squirrel, and chuckled nervously as they scratched behind their ears.
"Y-yeah…" They replied. The squirrel chuckled under her breath before asking them to follow her to their booth.
Around the corner watched Miles, dressed in a white apron, his tail tied around his waist.
"Looks like I arrived right on time," he said to himself.
"Hey, you the rookie?"
"Huh?" Miles turned around to find an older Mobian cat; he was taller with black and white fur, a cigar hanging from his lips.
"Today's pretty busy, so I'll need to rush through your training."
"Oh, umm, o-okay…" Miles took a deep breath as he followed his new manager into the kitchen, passing by the table where his brother and girlfriend were sitting.
"Hey, he looks familiar…" Tails peered up at the two cats walking by.
"Yeek!" Miles tugged his ears down and scurried to the kitchen.
"Hmmm…" Tails raised a gloved hand to his chin in thought. "Say Cosmo, did that cat look familiar to you?" The Seedrian turned around.
"Who are you talkin about? I don't see anyone."
"Dang," Tails snapped his fingers. "Should've said something a few seconds earlier. He kinda looked like Miles."
"You don't say," Cosmo replied as the waitress brought them cups of water and a bowl of breadsticks. "Maybe he got a part-time job here?"
"Miles? Nahhhh…" Tails sipped his water before grabbing a breadstick. "He's a mechanic through and through. I don't think he'd be too happy working at a restaurant. But still…" Tails studied the push door leading to the kitchen.
"Hello? Mobius to Tails." Cosmo snapped her fingers in Tails' face.
"Huh, whuu?" The orange kitsune shook his head.
"You daydreamed again?" Cosmo asked, a smirk appearing across her face.
"Y-yeah, sorry about that Cosmo." Tails ran a gloved hand behind his head.
"No need to apologize, Tails." The green Seedrian blushed as a smile grew on her face. "I find it rather cute when you daydream like that." This comment made the fox blush as well.
Miles, meanwhile, could hear the conversation the two were having as he was being lectured on how to do the dishes.
Okay, I can hear them well enough from here. I'll pay close attention and be prepared for the ultimate surprise…
Miles patted the small seasoning bottles in the pocket of his apron.
"All right, new folk," the supervisor led him to the sink, with a hose-like nozzle coming from the ceiling, "you simply rinse the dishes with this and apply soap using the clean sponges to your left. Clean dishes go to your right. Return dry dishes to our supply closet. Any questions?"
"N-no sir," Miles replied, giving the elder cat a nod.
"Very good." With a nod of his own, the supervisor left Miles to himself, checking in with his other subordinates. He was about to start the dishes when he heard the faint sound of Tails' voice. Perking up his ears, he listened in.
"I'll have the spaghetti and meatballs please, with a Caesar salad on the side." The orange fox gave the waitress his menu.
"And I'll have the garden salad and tomato soup please."
"All right, that'll be up soon!" The squirrel replied as she collected their menus.
"Thanks!" Tails and Cosmo replied simultaneously.
Now I just gotta wait for my time to strike…
Miles washed the dishes diligently as he focused out of the corner of his eye on the preparation table, where the cooks prepared orders and the waitresses picked them up. It didn't take long for the Olive Garden chefs to get to work on Tails and Cosmo's dinners, eventually gathering the spaghetti, soup, and salads in one central spot below a heated lamp for the squirrel to retrieve.
"Now's my chance…" Miles quickly dried his hands and pulled the bottles from his apron pocket.
"Let's see…how about a little laxative for the salads…" Miles peppered the salads with a seemingly invisible coating of the "seasoning". "…And for Tails' main dish, let's go with…extra spicy pepper flakes!" He applied a hefty dose of the seasoning to the fox's main dish. "Finally, for Cosmo…let's add some fish seasoning to her soup!" The cat laughed under his breath as he returned the bottles to his apron, pushed his glasses up his nose, and returned to the sink.
Moments later, the squirrel placed the food on a tray and brought its contents to the loving couple. Miles kept his ears perked up as he slowed the water to a trickle to ensure he could hear the aftermath.
"Enjoy!" The waitress said as she walked away.
"Thanks!" Cosmo and Tails replied, giving her a thumbs up.
"Oh man, this looks so good!" Tails was the first to bite into his salad. "I love how they make 'em here!"
"Even better than my salads?" Cosmo asked, a smirk across her face.
"No, no, well, I…" Tails was flustered, trying to find the right words to say.
"Don't worry, Tails," Cosmo replied with a warm smile. "Food just tastes better in a restaurant. I get it."
The two ate their salads silently for a few minutes before starting on their main courses.
"Ah geez…" The fox placed a gloved hand on his belly. "My stomach isn't feeling so hot."
"Y-yeah," Cosmo replied, placing her gloveless hand on her belly as well. "Same here. Maybe we're just extra hungry today?"
"Maybe!" Tails replied before grabbing his fork once more, wrapping the spaghetti noodles around it and taking a bite. Cosmo put a spoonful of soup into her mouth as well.
The two froze, their faces turning green before spitting out their food in each other's faces.
"What is this!" Tails licked his burning tongue on his gloved hand. "They put way too much spice in the sauce!"
"And mine tastes like fish…" Cosmo brought her nose to her bowl, taking a whiff. Her face turned green once more. "And smells like it too."
"Yeah, I think they messed up our orde—" Tails clutched his belly once more. "Hold that thought." The fox ran to the restroom.
"Owwwww…" After experiencing the same digestive pain, the Seedrian made her way to the lady's room, and after several minutes, the couple emerged from the two separate bathrooms and returned to their booths, sweating and exhausted.
"Let's…not come here again…" Tails breathed heavily.
"A-agreed…" Cosmo took a sip of her beverage. "A-at least the water is good."
"Oh Cosmo…" Tails managed to crack a smile while still attempting to catch his breath. "Always looking on the bright side. It's why I love you so much."
"Oh Tails…" Cosmo returned the smile with her own, the couple staring longingly into each other's eyes as their blushes grew.
"How are we doin' here?" The squirrel asked, only to find the couple transfixed on each other.
"I'll just…take that as a good…" The waitress tiptoed away.
Meanwhile, Miles was stomping on the tiled floor of the kitchen. "Dang it! Of course they'd just shake this off!" His ears perked up once more at Tails' voice.
"Say, how about we head out to the movie theater early, get some good seats?"
"That sounds lovely, Tails," Cosmo replied with a nod.
"Lemme just pay, and…" The young fox pulled his wallet from his namesakes, dropping enough Mobiums on the table to cover the food and a tip. "…we're ready to go."
"They're on the move," Miles said to himself. "Gotta follow their trail." The mischievous cat removed his apron and slunk out of the kitchen, and through the exit, to find Tails and Cosmo walking down the sidewalk holding hands. Keeping a several yard distance from them, he was so focused on following his targets that he kicked an empty can of Chaos Soda.
"Huh?" Tails turned around, but nobody was there. What he did notice, though, was the tip of a cat-like tail twitching from the entrance of the alleyway.
"Tails, what's wrong, sweetie?" Cosmo peered up at the young fox.
"Oh, it's nothing…" The kitsune turned around, clasping the Seedrian's hand once more as they made their way to the nearby theater.
"I gotta be more careful," Miles noted as he pulled himself up. He quietly peered around the corner to find the couple far enough ahead to make it safe to trail them, which is exactly what he did for the next several blocks until they reached the cinema.
"Two tickets for Awkwardate 4, please!" Tails requested as he pushed his credit card through the small hole below the glass casing surrounding the ticket booth. The nerdy nutria on the other side sighed as he swiped and returned the card, along with two tickets and a receipt. "Thanks!" Tails and Cosmo made their way in, immediately stopping at the concession stand full of Meh Burger-quality food for Olive Garden prices.
"Let's see…" Tails peered up at the menu before approaching the counter. "I'll have two chili dogs with the works and a box of mints!"
"Why am I not surprised?" Cosmo giggled as she approached the counter. "I would like a tall box of popcorn, a cup of water, and a soft pretzel."
After paying the 73.58 Mobiums, the couple didn't need to wait long for their food to be prepared and to find good spots.
Meanwhile, Miles purchased his own ticket for the romcom. As he passed by the concession stand, his stomach gurgled. Clutching his belly with his gloved hand, he looked up at the menu before shaking his head. "I'm on a serious mission here. I can't be thinking about food!"
Stepping into the dark theater, Tails and Cosmo were situated in the middle rows, sharing the box of popcorn as the commercials were playing. Creeping quietly, Miles snuck passed the two, managing to find his way to the back corner of the theater.
Taking his seat, Miles observed the couple, cringing as Cosmo reached in to kiss Tails' muzzle. Watching Tails' reaction, though, made him start feeling a sense of dread.
His brother was happy, perhaps even happier than the time they've spent together. The way the orange fox giggled and blushed at the romantic gesture only seemed to solidify this.
Am I really going to ruin their relationship?
…
Yes. Tails only thinks he's happy now. Just wait until those relationship responsibilities kick in. Pretty soon there will be obligations and children. He won't have any more free time to spend in his workshop, to go on adventures…
…to spend on me.
With a renewed sense of determination, the cat pulled out a small tablet, a lavender-colored version of Tails' Miles Electric computer, and started pressing buttons. Pretty soon, the commercial advertising the latest Marvel film went black, replaced with a fuzzy, VHS-quality video of a tall man in a hockey mask wielding a chainsaw.
Oh Miles…you sure are a genius sometimes…
The cat grinned, and the audience watched in horror, as the menacing man beheaded a row of teenagers with his weapon.
"What the hecc are they showing?" Tails asked before clutching his belly once more. "I don't think I can take this." He peered at Cosmo out of the corner of his eye; the Seedrian's reaction was similar, with one hand on her belly and the other covering her eyes. "Let's just get out of here."
Cosmo nodded in agreement. She gasped as the young fox grabbed her hand, spilling their food on the floor, so they could make an escape from the theater.
"Well shoot, that didn't work either!" Miles snapped his fingers as he watched the other moviegoers leaving, only a few enjoying this unexpected horror show. With a sigh, the cat left as well, hiding among the crowd as Tails and Cosmo left the theater. The rest of the crowd were making their way to the ticket booth, demanding refunds.
The cat left the group and followed his brother out of the building, once again keeping a good distance between them.
"I swear, tonight's been a disaster," Tails said with a chuckle. "The only good thing about this evening is that we've got to spend time together."
"I agree, Tails," Cosmo replied with a smile and a nod, a blush growing across her face.
"But still…" Holding Cosmo's hand, he scratched his chin in thought with his other hand. "First the Olive Garden and now this fiasco? It almost feels like someone's messing with us."
"Don't be silly, Tails," Cosmo replied with a smile. "Who'd possibly want to mess with us?"
"Eggman?" Tails shrugged. "Maybe he's run out of ideas and thinks making our normal lives miserable would be fun?"
"Maybe…" Cosmo itched her chin as well.
"Or maybe…" Tails peered over his shoulder, thinking he heard some steps in the distance. He shook his head. "Nahh, what am I thinking? He'd never mess with me like this."
"Who?" Cosmo asked, tilting her head in thought.
"Oh, nothing," Tails replied with a chuckle, running a hand behind his head.
"Well," Cosmo said with a smile, "maybe because our dates didn't go so well, maybe we should just watch some Netflix at my place?"
"Sure! Sounds like fun." Tails gave his girlfriend a thumbs up. "We'll fly back to your place in a jiffy!"
"My last chance to strike," Miles whispered to himself as he followed the two. "I won't be able to trail them in the Tornado 2, though, or else risk being spotted. I'll need to…sneak aboard."
And so the mischievous cat followed Tails and Cosmo until they arrived at the small airport where they had parked the Tornado 1.
"Want a lift?" Tails asked.
"Sure!" Cosmo replied, allowing her boyfriend to cradle her in his arms and, using his rotary namesakes, ascend to the passenger seat with ease. The orange fox gently placed the plant girl in the chair. "How romantic," Cosmo noted, giggling as a blush appeared across her face once more. With a giggle of his own, Tails landed in the pilot's chair and went through his pre-flight checklist.
As the fox activated the propellers, his brother opened a storage hatch on the side of the plane, and using his ingrained, cat-like instinct to fit into virtually any small space, he managed to shove himself in, using his long tail to close the hatch. Moments later, the cat curled up as the Tornado 1 took flight.
The trip was relatively short, the flight brought the loving couple a few miles north of Station Square to a small, nearby suburb where the Seedrian lived in a small townhouse she rented on the cheap in exchange for maintaining the immaculate garden surrounding the house. The fox was able to land his plane close by, using the long, carless road as his landing strip before turning and coming to a rest in Cosmo's driveway.
"We're here!" Tails cheered as he unbuckled himself. Cosmo did the same, and like before, the young fox helped his alien girlfriend down to the ground before the two made their way indoors.
When the coast was clear, Miles opened the hatch, slipping out and slowly creeping to the bushes underneath the living room window. The cat carefully pulled himself up, grabbing hold of the outer windowsill and peering into the living room. Tails had already made himself at home, lounging on the sofa as Cosmo prepared a bag of popcorn in her microwave.
"What do you wanna watch, sweetie?" Tails asked as he browsed through the various shows on Netflix.
"I'm really into that one anime Komi Can't Communicate. I really like Komi especially! Wanna watch it?" Cosmo asked as she poured the popcorn from the disposable bag into a big bowl.
"Sure, why not?" Tails made space for the Seedrian on the sofa, and before they knew it, the two were watching the anime in the dark living room, the fox's arm around the alien's shoulders as they ate popcorn together.
"Now's my chance." Miles let go of the windowsill, sliding to the bushes below. He pulled a small, spherical device from his fur. "All I've gotta do is push this button and throw it into her house and bam! It's gonna smell like skunk for weeks!" Miles itched the base of his nose. "If this doesn't ruin their relationship, then I don't know what will!"
Pulling himself up, Miles pressed and held down the button on the bomb and arched his arm back, gritting his teeth as he prepared to throw the bomb through the window. As he was about to swing his arm, however, he stopped, watching intently as Cosmo and Tails cuddled together on the sofa, keeping each other warm, bright smiles on their faces as they enjoyed each other's company…a sight that brought a tear to the cat's eyes.
"Ohh…fiddlesticks, I can't do it…" Miles lowered his arm. "I…can't cause them anymore trouble. I should've realized it sooner." The cat sighed. "Tails won't grow miserable; he loves Cosmo, just as she loves him, and they'll make each other happy for the rest of their lives…"
"I've been a fool…" Miles blankly stared at his sneakers as he let the bomb drop from his palm. "Oh craaa—"
BOOM!
"What was that!?" Tails exclaimed as he shot up, noticing a green cloud of smoke from outside.
"I don't know," Cosmo replied, following the orange fox to the front lawn.
"Miles!" Tails saw his brother lying in the bush, the depleted odor bomb rolling from his body toward the fox's feet. He picked it up, studying the contraption. "No way…he wouldn't…" The fox threw the canister to the side before pulling Miles from the bushes. He got on his knees and placed his fingers on his neck. "I feel a pulse, he's alive."
"T-Tails…"
"Miles?" The young kitsune grabbed the cat's hand. "Stay with me, you'll be alright."
"I'm..s-sorry…"
"Let's get you inside so w—"
"N-no, Tails…" Miles slowly opened his eyes. "D-don't…I..r-ruined your d-date with C-Cosmo…"
"B-but why?" Tails asked, holding up the cat's head with his other hand.
"I…didn't want you…to become…miserable with…m-married…l-life…and abandon me…"
"No, Miles…" Tails' eyes started to glisten. "I would never abandon you. Even if Cosmo and I got married and had a dozen kids, we'd still be brothers."
"I…know…" Miles tightened his grip on the fox's hand. "I've…been…an idiot…it was I…who ruined your…Olive Garden…and changed…the movie…"
"Don't worry about it, Miles," Tails said as he pulled him up, bringing the cradled cat to his furry belly. The fox smelled the cat's forehead. His face contorted in disgust, turning green.
"Cosmo, can I take Miles straight to your bathtub? He's gonna need a deep scrubbing to get that Stench out of his fur."
"Yes, of course," Cosmo replied, rushing back into the house. "I'll run the bath right now."
"Thanks." Tails watched as the Seedrian returned inside.
"I…I'll f-find a job…I'll…move out…if that would…make…you two…happy…"
"Don't say that, Miles," Tails pleaded. "I don't know what the future will hold, but I promise that I'll never kick you out."
"T-thank you…Tails…" Tears started streaming out of Miles' eyes. "I don't…deserve you…as my brother…" The cat buried his face into the fox's furry chest.
"It'll be okay," Tails reassured as he patted his head.
"The bath's ready," Cosmo said from the front door.
"Okay, ready for a good cleaning, Miles?" Tails asked.
"Y-yeah, I guess…" Miles replied, still too weak to form sentences without struggle.
With that, Tails brought Miles to the bathroom. Checking the soapy water with a gloveless hand to ensure the temperature wasn't too hot, the orange kitsune slowly placed his brother into the tub, ensuring the water didn't splash out onto the floor. Pulling his arms out of the water, he placed a small hand towel behind Miles' head to serve as a pillow.
The cat looked relaxed, flush from the warm water and the bubbles surrounding his still body.
"This'll be good practice for a kid," Cosmo commented as he watched Tails gently scrub Miles' fur.
"I'll say," Tails replied, continuing his work as the cat rested, his eyes closed as he gently snored, having fallen asleep from exhaustion and relaxation.
"Ummm, Tails?" Cosmo asked, sitting next to the fox on the floor.
"Yeah?" Tails replied, cleaning between the cat's ears.
"When you talked about marriage and kids…did you mean that?"
Tails started blushing a deep shade of red.
Well, I…ummm, you see, I was thinkin' tha—" Tails was interrupted by a long kiss on the lips. Releasing after what felt like an eternity to the orange kitsune, the two longingly stared into each other's eyes.
"That would make me very happy, Tails." Cosmo ran a hand down the back of Tails' head, his ears twitching from the sensation.
"Y-yeah?" The fox was nearly speechless.
"Ever since we saved the universe from the Metarex, I've wanted to settle down…have a nice, quiet life, tending to my garden, watching the seasons change, helping those in need…and I couldn't imagine spending it with anyone other than you." The Seedrian gave the fox a follow-up kiss on the cheek.
"So is this, like…a wedding proposal?"
"Oh, well…" It was Cosmo's turn to blush. "I'm not saying it should happen right now, but…" Tails gave Cosmo a kiss on the cheek, making the Seedrian blush as well. "Well, how about we discuss our future later, after we get your brother cleaned up?"
"Oh, right, right…" The two chuckled as the fox continued his work. Cosmo retired to the living room as Tails finished bathing Miles, giving him a good rinse before drying him off. The cat was awake for this part, keeping himself upright on the side of the bathtub, but his eyes were closed, his breathing was steady, and he didn't speak.
Finally, after the fox managed to dry Miles' fur to the best of his abilities, Tails emerged from the restroom with his brother in his arms, returning to the living room to find Cosmo reading a book in her reclining chair.
"So…it's getting kinda late...can we stay the night?"
"Of course!" Cosmo replied, closing the book and placing it on the coffee table. "I'll get some blankets for Miles, and he can sleep on the sofa."
Minutes later, Tails tucked his brother in on the couch before retiring with Cosmo to the bedroom for a well-deserved, long night sleep.
"Hey Miles, pass the wrench, will ya?" Tails asked from underneath the Tornado 2, reaching his hand out as he lay on a creeper.
"Sure, coming right up!" Miles replied from the workbench. Before he could grab it, however, Cosmo reached for it.
"Here you go, sweetie." Cosmo reached down to hand the tool to her boyfriend.
"Thanks!"
"Not a problem!" Cosmo replied with a nod.
"So how do you like spending time with Tails in the workshop?" Miles asked as he took a sip of his mint tea.
"It's lovely," Cosmo replied, gesturing around the open space, showcasing the plants that she recently added. "One of the first things I did when I moved in, after all, was liven the place up with as much flora as possible, and I've gotten to learn more about all this mechanical stuff, too!"
"You're really catching on," Tails added as he rolled out from underneath the Tornado, pulling himself off the ground and wiping the grease from his dirty gloved hands. "You'll be a regular mechanic in no time!"
"Who, me?" Cosmo placed a hand on her chest with a smirk. "I'm still pretty new to all this. I'll leave all the heavy lifting to you."
"Yeah, I suppose," Tails replied with a laugh. "Besides, your new floral business is really starting to kick off! I'd hate to get in the way of your hectic schedule."
"Oh, it's no big deal," Cosmo replied with a blush.
"We'll need to build a greenhouse at the rate you're getting new customers!" Tails exclaimed. "The living room is practically stuffed with floral arrangements waiting to be shipped!"
"And what about you, Miles?" Cosmo asked, redirecting the conversation back to the cat. "How's the new job going?"
"Well," Miles scratched the base of his nose with his tail, "my boss didn't appreciate me leaving out of the blue on my first day at Olive Garden, but I quickly graduated from dishwashing to line cook!"
"Congratulations!" Cosmo replied with a thumbs up.
"Thanks," Miles replied, scratching the back of his head. "It's been a good way to save up on my Mobiums at least. I'm inching closer to having enough for my down payment."
"You sure you wanna move out, Miles?" Tails asked as he cleaned the grease from his arms. "This house is more than big enough for you."
"Nah, I think you two need space to yourselves," Miles replied with a grin, "especially when you two have kids."
"Well, that's sort of a ways away," Tails replied with a blush, "but I appreciate your thoughtfulness." The orange kitsune turned to Cosmo. "Say, how's your side project coming along?"
"Oh, it's done," Cosmo replied with a smile.
"It's done?" Tails raised a single eyebrow in curiosity.
"Yep!" If Cosmo had a namesake like his boyfriend, it would be fluttering in happiness.
"I love you Cosmo, but I doubt you were able to finish it in such a short amount of time. Even I would have a hard time finishing it that fa—" Tails was interrupted by a single finger to his lips.
"Shhh, why don't you come see for yourself?" Cosmo grinned before grabbing Tails' hand, leading him through the workshop to a structure covered in a white blanket. "Tails, Miles…it's time to unveil…" She pulled the blanket away. "The Cosmic Storm!"
Tails and Miles' jaws dropped at the sight of Cosmo's new, slick looking biplane. It was shiny, resembling the Tornado 1 in style save for a green primary paintjob, white fins, and a yellow propeller. The seats were a leather-like brown.
"But…how!?" Tails' focus rapidly shifted between the mechanical prowess of a girlfriend and the biplane she constructed in record time. "I only taught you the fundamentals! Where did you even learn to build the rest of this, let alone have the time to do so?"
"YouTube," Cosmo replied nonchalantly, "and staying up late after you go to bed. I'm surprised the loud machinery didn't wake you up!"
"Absolutely amazing…" Tails ran a gloveless finger along the body of the plane. "Is it ready for a test run?"
"Yep!" Cosmo replied with a cheery smile. "I was actually wondering if you guys wanted to do a race?"
"A race!?"
The party turned to the entrance of the workshop to find Sonic, standing with his hands on his hips and a smirk across his muzzle.
"Oh, hey Sonic," Tails greeted.
"Hiya Tails, Miles, Cosmo," Sonic replied, waving his hand enthusiastically. "So what's this I hear 'bout a race?"
"Well," Miles replied, "Cosmo finished building her biplane, and she wanted to challenge us to a little racing competition."
"Maybe I could join?" Sonic replied. "I suppose that wouldn't be a fair fight, but…" The blue hedgehog grinned as he pulled the yellow, white, and green Chaos Emeralds from his azure quills. "…If your planes are powered by these babies, then I'm sure you'd have at least a slim chance of beating me!"
"That's perfect!" Tails replied, snatching the yellow gem from Sonic's palm. "I already have the purple emerald installed in the Tornado 1 with a second slot ready to go."
"Way past cool, bro!" Sonic replied, giving the kitsune a thumbs up.
"And lemme see those other emeralds…" Tails yoinked the green and white gems from Sonic's hands. "I've gotten pretty adept at handling the mystical properties of the Chaos Emeralds and allowing them to easily and safely interact with my tech." With some rapid tinkering, he swiftly installed the two gems in the other biplanes. "There we go!" The fox admired his handiwork. "The emeralds are now juicin' each plane, so I think we're about ready to race!"
With that, each of the flying contestants got into their planes, with Tails in the Tornado, Miles in the Tornado 2, and Cosmo in the Cosmic Storm, and drove them down the runway, lining them up evenly.
"We'll race across Station Square, cut through Hill Top Zone and Casino Night Zone, and then return to the Mystic Ruins. Sound good to everyone?"
"Yep!" Replied the other.
"On my mark…ready, set, aaaaand…"
"Goooooo!"
Sonic was the first to speed down the runway before making a sharp left, as his friends followed in their trio of biplanes, heading to their first checkpoint in Station Square.